Celebrating Women in Clinical Trials Walgreens Highlights the Importance of Inclusion
Clinical Trials Day, celebrated globally on May 20, was marked this year by Walgreens with a special focus on women’s health, aligning with National Women’s Health Month.
“Walgreens is taking action to elevate awareness about gender-specific disparities related to health, and the importance and relevance of participation in medical research,” stated Kendal Whitlock, head of digital optimization for Walgreens Clinical Trials.
Whitlock organized the Walgreens Clinical Trials Day event, held in the Boston area, close to the newly announced clinical trials center in Malden. The event gathered a diverse group of attendees, including doctors, pharmacists, community leaders, advocates, academics, tech companies, and pharmaceutical organizations. Local Congressman Jake Auchincloss inaugurated the event with opening remarks, followed by keynote speakers and panels. Here are five inspiring quotes from the event:
- “Let’s make some noise.”
Ramita Tandon, Walgreens Chief Clinical Trials Officer, highlighted a significant milestone in their commitment to including women in medical research: “As the two-year anniversary of our clinical trials business approaches, we celebrate reaching more than 4 million patients to potentially enroll into trials, and of those, more than 60% have been women. We will continue to make strides to bring trials directly to our communities and continue dialing up the noise on women’s health.” - “Ask and explain.”
Dr. Yvette Cozier, an investigator on the Black Women’s Health Study (BWHS) and the BWHS Sarcoidosis Study at the Slone Epidemiology Center, Boston University, emphasized effective recruitment strategies for Black women in clinical trials: “In my research, I’ve learned that Black women want to participate in clinical research. You just have to package information so that someone like my grandmother would understand it and do it. If you ask women and explain things to them, they will join clinical trials.” - “Looking back informs how to look forward.”
Dr. Bayo Curry-Winchell, medical director of urgent care clinics at Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center in Reno, Nevada, spoke on the importance of history in shaping the future of women’s health: “True diversity in healthcare goes beyond token representation. Acknowledging our history is essential to equip ourselves with insights needed to address trust and prevent delayed care. After all, our past still impacts how we’re bringing healthcare to women. The National Institutes of Health reported it takes up to 17 years for new evidence to translate into standard clinical practice, which means we’re still using practices studied more than 17 years ago.” - “Inclusion in the standard of care.”
Epidemiologist Linda Goler Blount, president and CEO of the Black Women’s Health Imperative, stressed the importance of women being included in developing the standard of care: “When we say something is evidence-based, I want the women I’m talking to to know that the standard of care was created with them in mind and that they were involved in the research.” - “Healthy women should matter to everyone.”
Dr. Beth Garner, Chief Scientific Officer of Ferring Pharmaceuticals US, highlighted the universal importance of women’s health: “We all know that when women are healthy, everyone is healthy. That’s why it’s important to include people in clinical trials who look like the people who will be using your product when it’s approved. That is why it’s so amazing what Walgreens is doing in clinical trials. It’s so exciting to bring clinical trials to the people.”
